Perforator



June 23, 1964 1.. .1. ORLANDO PERFORATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1962 INVENTOR. [00/5 :1 0244/1/00 BY M MAI/702M576.

June 23, 1964 L. .1. ORLANDO 3,138,322

PERFORATOR Filed Sept. 18, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 i g 5 i i s i -1 s I 5 i 45 i i i 2 5/6 I I I J 7''] INVENTOR.

[00/5 J. flew/v00 June 23, 1964 L. J. ORLANDO PERFORATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 18, 1962 INVENTOR. [00/5 J Hem/v00 BY Wrmewm June 23, 1964 L. J. ORLANDO PERFORATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 18, 1962 INVENTOR. [00/5 J dew/v00 BY W United States Patent 3,138,322 PERFORATOR Louis J. Grlando, 109 N. Lexington Ave, Havertown, Pa. Filed Sept. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 224,403 Claims. (Cl. 234--l0) This invention relates to a perforator, and has particular applicability to an electric check perforator, although the inventive concept may be equally applicable to perforators for cancelling, dating, numbering, validating, receipting, coding or other purposes.

A primary object of the instant invention is the provision of an improved perforator of this character which will operate at an extremely high speed, and which will accommodate sequentially a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses of articles to he perforated, which will automatically feed the checks or other articles to the perforator, and which after perforation will stack the checks in a position to be readily available for removal. 7

A further important object of the invention is the provision of a perforator of this character which will perforate each item individually, thus obviating the hitherto frequently experienced difliculty of having two or more of the perforated checks stick together.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a perforator of this character which will accommodate an exceptionally large number of checks and sequentially perforate each individual check without refilling, repositioning, or other adjustment;

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a device which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble, and utilize.

Other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

Other objects will in partbe obvious and in part be shown in the accompanying drawings wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view, the casing being sectioned away of one form of perforator constructed in accordance with the instant invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the perforator of FIGURE 1 as viewed from the left, the casing also being sectioned.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing in elevation the opposite side of the perforator, the casing also being shown in section.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 44 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the'line 55 of FIGURE 2 as viewed'in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in thedirection indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the perforator of the instant invention is generally indicated at 10, and includes a base plate 11 upon which is mounted a casing including opposite side walls 12 and 13, a front wall 14, provided with an access door 15 hinged at 16 and having a latch 17, and a rear wall 18. Rear wall 18 also has an access door 19 which is hinged at 2% and provided with a latch 21. The casing also includes, a top plate 22 which is inclined forwardly from front to rear, and which is provided with a central receptacle 23 for the reception of a stack of checks of other articles to be perforated. The opposite sides of receptacle 23 are pro- I, 3,138,322 Patented June23, 1964 vided with channels 24 which carry wheels or rollers 25 mounted on suitable axles carried by inclined rearward extensions 26 of a weighted follower plate 27. Follower rollers 33. Rollers 33 are mounted on a rotatable shaft or axle 34, which in turn is mounted in bearings 35 carried by forwardly projecting extensions 36 of a guide plate 37,.

the latter being spaced by gasket members 33 from a rear plate 39, which comprises a portion of upwardly extending frame or support members 4% Frame members 40 are rigidly secured to base 11 by means-of screws .or bolts 41.

The space between plates 37 and 39 defines a slot 50 into which checks to be perforated are fed in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

One end of shaft 34 carries a pulley 42 which is driven by means of a belt 43 from a pulley 44 carried by one end of a shaft 45, the latter being mounted in bearings 46 also mounted in projections 36. I

Shaft 45 carries a sleeve 51 which in turn carries a pair of feed rollers 53, each provided with a rubber or neoprene peripheral sleeve 54, and each extending through a slot 55 in plate 37 into slot 50. A ratchet 56 is carried by a collar Sla, pinned to shaft 45 by means of a pin 52, and is engaged by a dog or pawl 57 on sleeve 51, the ratchet and pawl serving as a drive clutch for feed wheels or rollers 53 and permitting free rotation of such wheels after the drive of shaft 45, to be more fully described hereinafter, has been discontinued. I

A drive roll 59 is also pinned to shaft 45 by means of a pin 60, and is rotated in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, a tensioning spring 61 surrounds one end of axle 45, and bears at one end against sleeve or bushing 46 and at its other end against a knurled adjusting nut 62 which is mounted on a threaded portion es of the axle 45. As best shown in FIGURE 4, the dog 57 is biased into engagement with ratchet wheel 56 by means of a spring 64.

Drive wheel 59, and hence shaft 50 and its connected shaft are intermittently driven by means of a cam 65 having a high dwell 66 (see FIG..6) mounted on a stub shaft or axle 67 which is mounted between one of projections 36 and a lug or boss 68. Shaft 67 carries at its inner end a second cam 70, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereinafter, and at its outer end a sprocket 71.

Sprocket 71 is engaged by a toothed belt 72, which is driven by a sprocket 73 which in turn is driven by one end of a drive shaft '74 of a gear reduction box 75, the gearing in box 75 being in-turn driven from an electric motor 7s supplied with electric current from any suitable source through a wire 77 (see FIGS. 2, 3, and 5).

Motor 76 and gear box 75 are carriedby supporting plates 78 which in turn are mounted on upright frame members 79 secured to base 11 by means of bolts or screws 80. Frame 79 carries a screw and tension arm 69, upon the end of which is mounted a tensioning idler roller 72' which engages the smooth outer surface of belt 72. 1

The smooth outer side of belt 72 tightly engages over a drive pulley 81 mounted on a shaft 82 which is mounted in suitable bearings 83 in projections as, and which extends through lug 68. Feed rollers 83 having rubber or neoprene peripheral coverings 84 extend through slots in plate 37 into slot 50. A pulley 86 at the opposite end of shaft 82 drives a belt 87 which in turn drives a pulley 88 carried by the end of a shaft 89 which is mounted in lugs 90 carried by frame members 40, the shaft 89 carrying a pair of discharge rollers 91, which are positioned in slots 92 which extend through plate 37 into the check receiving slot 50.

It will thus be seen that shafts 82 and 89 and their associated rollers 84 and 91 are continuously driven, whereas by virtue of cam 65 shaft and its associated feed rollers 53 as well as shaft 34 and its feed rollers 33 are driven intermittently. The synchronization of the intermittent drive between shafts 34 and 45 is obviously arranged so that motion is imparted to feed rollers 53 and 33 simultaneously.

Cam or eccentric 70 is connected by means of a link 95 4 minimum of time without the necessity of refilling the apparatus, or, as is common practice in present perforators, by the periodic insertion of a group of stacked checks which are simultaneously perforated.

It is to be noted that ratchet dog 57 by its engagement with ratchet 56 effectuates the drive of rollers 53 and permits free wheeling of rollers 53 when rollers 83 engage the check. The rollers 53 are rotated, due to the relative size of pulleys 42 and 44 and the relative size of rollers 33, at approximately three times the speed of feed rollers 33, effectively to snap each check into slot as its edge is moved downwardly from receptacle 23 by rollers 33,

by the intermittent action of cam 65. Constantly rotating to a shaft 96, the ends of which are journalled in lugs 97 projecting forwardly from plate 37, the shaft 96 having keyed thereto a pair of sleeves 98 which carry depending arms 99, between which extends a shelf 190 which extends through a transverse slot 101 in plate 37 and serves intermittently to open and close the lowermost portion of slot 50, to provide a surface upon which a check or the like may be rested during perforation, the movement of the shelf 1G0 obviously being synchronized through the mounting of eccentric 70 on the same shaft as cam to the intermittent feed movement of feed rollers 53 and 33.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, link or lever 95 is provided with a right angularly disposed flange 95a, against which cam acts. A spring 102 is secured to flange a, and at its other end to plate 37, and serves to hold shelf normally in slot closing position.

An arcuate guide plate 103 located beneath the lower opening of slot 50 serves to direct the perforated checks feed rollers 83, which in turn rotate at about three times the speed of rollers 53, immediately take over the check and snap it downwardly against shelf 100, where it is held until perforated. Immediately after perforation, shelf 100 is retracted into slot 101, and discharge rollers 91, which are also constantly rotated at an even higher speed than rollers 83, due to the relative sizes of pulleys 86 and 88, whip the perforated check out of slot 50 into receptacle It is to be noted that rollers 91 are not provided with neoprene or rubber peripheral bands and consequently may slip over the surface of the check in slot 50 when shelf 160 is in slot closing position.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, idler rollers and 111 are mounted on axles 112 and 113, respectively, in slots 114 and 115 in plate 39 in aligned opposing relation with feed rollers 83 and discharge rollers 91, respectively.

Plates 116 and 117 secured to the rear of slots 114 and 115 adjacent the rollers are biased by spring means into tensioning relation with the idler rollers to hold the same in position.

or other articles into a receptacle 104- which rests on base I 11. Weighted wire fingers 165 serve to align and retain the checks in position in receptacle 104, the wires being pivoted as at 106, weighted at their ends as at 107 and extending through vertical slots 108 in the side of receptacle 104. When receptacle 104 is full, it may be removed from the casing through a suitable opening in either of the side walls 12 or 13, emptied and replaced.

The feeding or insertion of the checks or other articles to be perforated into a position for perforation, and their Referring now to the perforating mechanism per se, a plate 120 carried by frame members 40 includes a pair of forwardly extending supports 121, which extend into a position closely adjacent the rear of plate 39, each projection 121 carrying a pair of aligned bosses 122 provided internally with bearings 123, as best shown in FIGURE 4.

subsequent removal therefrom should now be understandable. The checks are first aligned and placed in receptacle 23 where they are forced forwardly by follower plate 27 into engagement with guide plate 37. Actuation or energization of drive motor 76 then, through belt 72, causes rotation of sprocket 71 and hence shaft 67 and cam 65. Cam 65 imparts periodic rotation to shaft 45, and through belt 43 to shaft 34. The foremost check is initially engaged by roller 33 carried by shaft 34 and kicked downwardly to a point where it is engaged by the rubber peripheral bands 54 of feed rollers 53 and snapped into slot 50. At this time the constantly rotating rollers 84 carried by shaft 82 engage the surface of the check and snap it downwardly into abutting relation with plate 100, which is in position to retain the check. During this action the ratchet arrangement 56-57 permits free wheeling in a feeding direction of rollers 53. Simultaneously perforation of the check or other article is effected, in a manner to be more fully described herein after, and rotation of cam 70 moves plate 100 out of check retaining position, and the perforated check is snapped out of slot 50 by discharge rollers 91 and guided by plate 103 into receptacle 104. The speed of the operation may be controlled by the speed of a motor, and through the synchronization of plate 100 and the brief actuation of feed rolls 33 and 53 checks may be fed, perforated, and discharged individually at an extremely high rate of speed. Due to the large capacity of receptacle 23 and receptacle 104 an exceptionally large number of checks may be individually perforated in a Bearings 123 slidably accommodate oppositely aligned parallel rods 125 which are extended through lugs 126 which are pivoted to arms 127 of a yoke 128, the rods 125 being secured by pins 129 to permit limited pivotal movement of the yoke relative to the rods.

A shaft 130 extends between arms 127 and has rotatably mounted thereon a plurality of drums 131, each drum being independently rotatable by means of a handle 132. Each drum contains a plurality of perforations 133, arranged in a particular pattern, the arrangement thus being such that each pattern may be juxtaposed in a position to engage selected ones of a plurality of slidably mounted pins 133. When the yoke 128 is reciprm cated, in a manner to be described hereinafter, the drums are forced against the head of the pins 133' the arrangement being such that those pins which are engaged by a solid portion of the drum are passed forwardly through an opening in plate 39 and through and across slot 50 into an opening 134 in plate 37, the rear of opening 134 being closed by a plate 135. Those pins which are adjacent openings remain stationary, so that the check or other article is perforated only by those pins which are moved, to effect a predetermined perforated design. Pins 133 are provided with enlarged portions 136 which are located between a movable plate 137 and a second plate 138 which has its ends affixed in yoke arms 127, the arrangement being such that when yoke 128 is retracted plate 138 serves to return the pins which have been passed across slot 50 to operative position for the next check.

The arrangement of drums and pins is largely conventional and constitutes per se no part of the instant invention. It may be pointed out here, however, that closure plate and the opening 140 defined thereby permit the droppage of paper bits forced out by the pins 133 to drop into a receptacle 141 located on base plate 11, the receptacle 141 being removable through a side access door in the same manner as receptacle 104.

Reciprocation of yoke 127 and its associated perforating pins 133 is effected by means of a rotatable cam follower 142 which is mounted on a pin 143 carried by the stem of yoke 128. Roller 142 engages in an eccentric groove 144 in the surface of the cam roller 145 which is fixed by means of a pin 146 to a drive shaft 147 extending from gear reduction box 75, and driven thereby in the same manner as opposite shaft 74. The position of cam roller 145 is so synchronized, by adjustment of belt 72 with the operation of cam 65 and 70 that the yoke and its associated pins 133 are moved to forward or perforating position at the same time that a check is rested on shelf 100 so that each check is evenly and uniformly perforated.

The opposite end of shaft 147 is mounted in a bearing block 1513 which is in turn carried by a supporting frame member 151 carried by base 11.

Means are provided for varying the effective width of slot 50 relative to the article such as checks to be fed thereinto, and take the form of a plate 152 slidable in a channel or groove 153 in the base 154 of receptacle 23. A pin 155 is secured to the underside of plate 152 and extends through a slot 156, and is engaged by a block 157 which is spring biased by means of a spring 158 upwardly into engagement with the bottom of base plate 154. A tension spring 159 extends from pin 155 to a pin 160 carried by a depending lug 161 fixed to the underside of base plate 154. An adjusting screw 162 extends through a threaded aperture in lug 161 and engages in a recess in block 157, so that plate 152 may be moved linearly relative to plate 39, and thus effectively vary the width of the entrance opening to the slot 50.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved perforator, particularly adapted for the perforation or cancellation of checks, which will individually accommodate a large number of checks at a high rate of speed, and which thus accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A perforator for checks or the like comprising a housing, a receptacle within said housing for a stack of checks to be perforated, means in said receptacle for continuously urging the stack of checks towards one end of said receptacle, a pair of guide plates in said housing defining a vertical slot at said one end of said receptacle, said vertical slot having an upper end and a lower end, a stop plate adjacent said one end of said receptacle and having at least one opening defined therethrough, first check feed roller means having portions extending through each opening in said stop plate into engagement with a check adjacent said one end of said receptacle, means for intermittently driving said first check feed roller means, whereby the check adjacent said one end of said receptacle is snapped by said first check feed roller means from said receptacle into said slot adjacent the upper end thereof, at least one opening defined through one of said guide plates adjacent said upper end of said slot, second check feed roller means having portions extending through each of said last-mentioned openings into engagement with the check snapped into said slot by said first check feed roller means, means for intermittently driving said second check feed roller means in synchronization with said first check feed roller means, whereby the check is snapped downwardly by said second check feed roller means toward the lower end of said slot, stop means pivotally mounted adjacent said lower end of said slot for movement between a stopping position wherein a portion of said stop means extends across said lower end of said slot to close said slot and temporarily retain the check on said portion, and a discharge position wherein said slot is opened to permit passage of the check, means for intermittently pivoting said stop means between said stopping position and said discharge position in synchronization with said means for intermittently driving said first and second check feed roller means, perforating means carried by said housing adjacent said stop means, said perforating means including a plurality of pins and means for intermittently reciprocating said pins across said slot and through the check temporarily retained on said portion of said stop means when said stop means is pivoted to said stopping position, at least one opening defined through one of said guide plates immediately above said stop means, check discharge roller means having portions extending through each of said last-mentioned openings into engagement with the check temporarily retained on said portion of said step means, means for continuously driving said check discharge roller means, and perforated check receiving means positioned below said lower end of said slot, whereby the perforated check is snapped by said check discharge roller means to said receiving means when said stop means is pivoted to said discharge position.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said second check feed roller means are operated at a peripheral speed in excess of the peripheral speed of said first check feed roller means, and said check discharge roller means are operated at a peripheral speed in excess of the peripheral speed of said second check feed roller means.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said first and second check feed roller means include friction peripheral bands and said check discharge roller means are smooth surfaced.

4. The structure of claim 1 further including, in combination, a plate slidably mounted on the bottom of said receptacle and having an edge portion adjacent said upper end of said slot, and adjusting means operatively connected to said plate for sliding the same relative to said bottom of said receptacle whereby said edge portion selectively covers part of said slot to vary the effective width of said slot.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said means for continuously urging said stack of checks toward said one end of said receptacle includes the bottom of said receptacle being inclined downwardly toward said one end of the same, and a weighted follower mounted in said receptacle behind said stack of checks, said follower being slidably carried in grooves defined in said receptacle, said grooves being inclined downwardly toward said one end of said receptacle, whereby the force of gravity causes said follower to normally bias said stack of checks toward said one end of said receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,179,960 Palmer et al Apr. 18, 1916 2,862,555 Jurgens et al Dec. 2, 1958 3,011,697 Baker Dec. 5, 1961 3,033,445 Dreyer May 8, 1962 

1. A PERFORATOR FOR CHECKS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A HOUSING, A RECEPTACLE WITHIN SAID HOUSING FOR A STACK OF CHECKS TO BE PERFORATED, MEANS IN SAID RECEPTACLE FOR CONTINUOUSLY URGING THE STACK OF CHECKS TOWARDS ONE END OF SAID RECEPTACLE, A PAIR OF GUIDE PLATES IN SAID HOUSING DEFINING A VERTICAL SLOT AT SAID ONE END OF SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID VERTICAL SLOT HAVING AN UPPER END AND A LOWER END, A STOP PLATE ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING DEFINED THERETHROUGH, FIRST CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS HAVING PORTIONS EXTENDING THROUGH EACH OPENING IN SAID STOP PLATE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH A CHECK ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID RECEPTACLE, MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY DRIVING SAID FIRST CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS, WHEREBY THE CHECK ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID RECEPTACLE IS SNAPPED BY SAID FIRST CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS FROM SAID RECEPTACLE INTO SAID SLOT ADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE OPENING DEFINED THROUGH ONE OF SAID GUIDE PLATES ADJACENT SAID UPPER END OF SAID SLOT, SECOND CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS HAVING PORTIONS EXTENDING THROUGH EACH OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED OPENINGS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CHECK SNAPPED INTO SAID SLOT BY SAID FIRST CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS, MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY DRIVING SAID SECOND CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS IN SYNCHRONIZATION WITH SAID FIRST CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS, WHEREBY THE CHECK IS SNAPPED DOWNWARDLY BY SAID SECOND CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS TOWARD THE LOWER END OF SAID SLOT, STOP MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID LOWER END OF SAID SLOT FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A STOPPING POSITION WHEREIN A PORTION OF SAID STOP MEANS EXTENDS ACROSS SAID LOWER END OF SAID SLOT TO CLOSE SAID SLOT AND TEMPORARILY RETAIN THE CHECK ON SAID PORTION, AND A DISCHARGE POSITION WHEREIN SAID SLOT IS OPENED TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF THE CHECK, MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY PIVOTING SAID STOP MEANS BETWEEN SAID STOPPING POSITION AND SAID DISCHARGE POSITION IN SYNCHRONIZATION WITH SAID MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY DRIVING SAID FIRST AND SECOND CHECK FEED ROLLER MEANS, PERFORATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID STOP MEANS, SAID PERFORATING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PINS AND MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY RECIPROCATING SAID PINS ACROSS SAID SLOT AND THROUGH THE CHECK TEMPORARILY RETAINED ON SAID PORTION OF SAID STOP MEANS WHEN SAID STOP MEANS IS PIVOTED TO SAID STOPPING POSITION, AT LEAST ONE OPENING DEFINED THROUGH ONE OF SAID GUIDE PLATES IMMEDIATELY ABOVE SAID STOP MEANS, CHECK DISCHARGE ROLLER MEANS HAVING PORTIONS EXTENDING THROUGH EACH OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED OPENINGS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CHECK TEMPORARILY RETAINED ON SAID PORTION OF SAID STOP MEANS, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DRIVING SAID CHECK DISCHARGE ROLLER MEANS, AND PERFORATED CHECK RECEIVING MEANS POSITIONED BELOW SAID LOWER END OF SAID SLOT, WHEREBY THE PERFORATED CHECK IS SNAPPED BY SAID CHECK DISCHARGE ROLLER MEANS TO SAID RECEIVING MEANS WHEN SAID STOP MEANS IS PIVOTED TO SAID DISCHARGE POSITION. 